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Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Snakes Eat Fish

Last week I highlighted a picture of a Northern Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon) eating a catfish (on right) that went viral and freaked a lot of people out. Many refused to ever enter the water again. I mentioned on that post that watersnakes eating things that live in the water, like fish, really isn't that big of a deal. Animals need to eat to live, you know? Fish are even the primary prey for several species of snakes. But you don't have to just take my word for it, I put out a call for more photographic proof and a few folks came through:

Here's a picture of another Northern Watersnake

eating a catfish in Georgia (photograph by Will Bass).

Here is a Diamond-backed Watersnake (Nerodia rhombifer) eating a catfish from the Tensaw River in southern Alabama (photograph by Jim Godwin).

Here is a Northern Watersnake from Cleveland Ohio eating what appears to be a darter of some sort

(photograph by Marty Hout).

Finally, here is another Northern Watersnake eating a catfish in Bankhead National Forest, Alabama

(photograph by Joe Jenkins).

Update: Jason Folt provides this photograph of a baby Northern Watersnake chowing down on...well, I'm not sure what this is.

You see? Snakes eat fish. You don't need to be scared. Do you have a picture of snake eating a fish (preferably a catfish)? Share it below!